Stencil holder or carrier for use with typewriting machines



Dec. 29, 1925- L. M. BARMAN STENCIL HOLDER 0R CARRIER FOR USE WITH TYPEWRITING MACHINES Filed August 27, 1924 INVENTOR L 0016 BER 7%:

IHTTORNEKS Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS MAURICE BABMAN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO RONEO LIMITED, OF

LONDON, ENGLAND, A BRITISH COMPANY.

STENCIL HOLDER OR CARRIER FOR USE WITH TYPEWBITING MACHINES.

Application filed August 27, 192 4. Serial No. 734,411.

7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Loors MAURICE BAR- MAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Roneo Building, 5, Holborn, London, E. C. 1, England, Great Britain, have invented new and useful Imrovements in a Stencil Holder or Carrier or Use with Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a stencil holder or carrier for use with typewriting machines.

The stencils used in addressing machines comprise a strip of stencil paper secured across an opening in a substantially stout card or frame, and considerable difiiculties have hitherto existed in using stencils in a typewriting machine so as to cause a name and address or other matter to be impressed into the stencil material. On the one hand the strip of stencil material is very thin and this thinness combined with its nature makes it a matter of considerable difficulty to pass it in an unmounted state through the typewriting machine. On the other hand, the card or frame to which the stencil is secured is necessarily of stout material and the thickness of the stencil and its card or frame also makes it difficult conveniently to use in the typewriting machine.

"ince it has not hitherto been possible to introduce a stencil with its card into the typewriter in a manner similar to entering a sheet of paper, attachments have been devised for securing over the platen roller of the machine into which a stencil and its card or frame is clipped.

The attachments have been inthe nature of segments formed of springy metal having an opening across which the stencil with its frame has been supported.

Such attachments have many disadvantages. In the first place it has been necessary to force or. spring the metal segment over the platen roller and this practice is apt to injure the feed rollers which work in conjunction with the platen roller, as the platen rollers vary in diameter with different types of machines. Furthermore, injury may be caused to the platen roller by scoring or scraping when springing the segment into its position.

Furthermore, owing to the opening in the segment the types strike through the thin stencil paper on to the platen roller, caus 1ng indentations in its surface with consequent re airs to the platen roller. Again devices 0 the type mentioned, owing to their necessary thinness soon lose their shape. Apart from these disabilities the attachments hitherto employed are costly.

Now the object of the present invention is to overcome these disadvantages and to provide a stencil holder or carrier which does not cause damage to the platen roller or feed rollers in any of the ways mentioned, which retains its shape, and which is cheaply produced.

The invention consists in a stencil holder or carrier which can be introduced between -the platen roller and the feed roller of a typewriting machine, conforms itself to the platen roller, can be locked into conformity therewith, has elements or guides thereon to receive the stencil and its card and carry the said stencil and card around the platen roller the said elements or guides firmly retaining the stencil card while it is impressed in the machine, the holder or carrier forming the impression surface.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings whereon:

Fig. is a plan view of the stencil holder or carrier.

Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. l, but showing the flap and tongue pushed out from the main body.

Fig. 3 is a view of a typewriter platen roller with the stencil carrier or. holder locked thereon and a stencil dropped into its original position.

Fig. 4 is a view of a similar platen roller with the stencil holder or carrier securing the stencil with its frame to the platen roller in the position for impressing characters into the stencil material.

The stencil holder or carrier is constructed from stiff paper, oil sheets, cloth or other fabric or thin metal.

On the drawings, the material or substance em loyed for the stencil holder or carrier is ashioned by cutting or stamping into a head portion a, and a body portion 6,

the head being less in width and depth than the body, and united thereto by sloping shoulders c. The body 6 is formed with a central flap d by cutting through the material or substance to points on each side somewhat below the! space formed between the tapering shoulders e.

The flap (l is cut with tapering sides fromthe extremity of the bod so that a tongue e is formed at the free en of the flap, the remainder of the flap having straight sides. The space between the shoulders c is provided with a slot The flap d is cut in each holder or carrier to conform with the width of the unsupported portion of the stencil material. The cutting of the flap leaves marginal elements '9, the function of which will be disclosed. In Figs. 3 and 4 the stencil i is shown mounted on its supporting frame 7' in two positions with the platen roller 7r.

In use the head a is introduced between the platen roller is and the feed roller (not shown) of the typewriter.

The platen roller is turned in the usual manner and laps the head 0 around the roller. The turning movement is continued until the slot comes into view (see Fig. 3). The flap d is now pulled over the laten roller is and the tongue 6 is inserted in the slot 7 thereby leaving the marginal elements 9 projecting upwardly or outwardly behind the roller is.

A stencil 2' with its stout supporting card or frame j is now dropped on to the marginal elements or sides 9 in such a manner that the sides of the frame j rest on the margins g and the whole of the stencil surface 71 comes within the open space between the sides g, as is clearly seen from Fig. 3. The platen roller k is again turned and the marginal elements 9 introduce the stencil i and its frame j between the platen roller and the feed roller and shape it into conformity with the platen roller surface, the marginal elements acting as guides and means for firmly retaining the stencil and its card or frame over the platen roller.

Thus the stencil card with its carrier or holder is brought into the position shown in Fig. 4.

In this position a name and address or other matter is impressed into the stencil surface 2' the impact of the types being received on the surface of the stencil carrier or holder, and so causing no damage to the platen roller.

After a stencil has been impressed in the machine the platen roller is rotated in the same direction until the stencil card is released by the marginal elements or sides 9. The tongue 6 remains locked in the slot and the elements 9 are in a position to receive a further stencil with its frame and the operation' of impressing stencils is continued.

To remove the holder or carrier from the platen roller is, the tongue 0 is pulled out of the slot f and the platen roller is is rotated until the device is turned clear of the platen roller and the feed roller.

It 'is to be understood that the carrier or holder for stencils may be made in varying sizes to suit different types of machines, and also the sha e of the flap, tongue, and supporting gui es or elements may be varied, and indeed such modifications as to size and shape may be necessary as the stencil cards themselves are made in varying sizes and shapes to suit different types of addressing machines.

Furthermore, the invention has been described as used with ty pewriting machines having platen rollers. here are, however, machines where the impression surface 'is in the nature of a hammer which swings into action a ainst a ribbon su ported between itand the type faces, and the device can with minor modifications be utilized with such machines. For example, the slot and tongue can be dispensed with, or ignored, and the stencil card inserted between the flap and the side guides or elements so that the hammer strikes upon the back of the flap.

Having thus described my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. A stencil holder or carrier adapted to be introduced between the platen roller and the feed rollers of a typewriting machine comprising a head and body portion, a slot formed between the head and bod portion, a flap and tongue formed in the ody portion, the tongue entering the slot to secure the carrier over the platen roller during successive cutting of stencils and marginal elements or guides formed in the body portion for introducing the stencil and its card or frame between the platen roller and the feed roller, the said marginal elements shaping the stencil to the platen roller and maintaining the shape during the complete cutting of the stencil.

2. A stencil holder or carrier ada ted to be introduced between the platen rol er and the feed rollers of a typewriting machine having a head and body portion, the head being less in width and depth than the body and united thereto by sloping shoulders, a slot formed-therein, a flap formed with a tongue for securing the holder around the platen roller, the size of the flap corres' 0nding to the width of the stencil materia and marginal elements ada ted to receive the sides of the stencil car s or frames.

8. A stencil holder or carrier ada ted to be introduced between the platen rol er and the feed rollers of a typewriting machine comprising a head and body portion, a slot formed between the head and body portion,

Ill)

a flap and tongue formed in the body portion, the tongue being adapted to pass into the slot to lock the carrier to the machine.

4. A stencil holder or carrier adapted to be introduced between the platen roller and the feed rollers of a typewriting machine comprising a head and body portion, a slot formed between the head and body portion, a flap and tongue formed in the body portion, the formation of the said flap and tongue leaving marginal elements which serve as guides whereon to position the side edges of the stencil card and hold the care against movements during its passage around the platen roller of the machine.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

LOUIS MAURICE BARMAN. 

